Automatic coupling



July 7, 1931. r. H. THQMAS AUTOMATIC COUPLING Filed Dec. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Wk QN INVENTQR THOMAS H.THOMAS ATTORNEY July 7, 1931. T. H. THOMAS AUTOMATIC COUPLING Filed Dec. 3, 192a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '0' w m N I\ 00 N N N I j x g \O |J N N L. L- to w o 5 3 m u r\ \9 I; u, \9

INVENTOR I THOMAS H.THOMAS BY ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS H. THOMAS, or 'EnGEwoon, rENnsYLvANIA, Assrenon, TO THE wns'rrnev HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, or WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, AoonronA'rIoN r or PENNSYLVANIA AUroMA'rIc co'UPLING Application filed December 3, 1928. Serial No. 323,290.

'type wherein the train pipes will be automatically closed when the cars are uncoupled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a train pipe coupling wherein the train pipes will be automatically opened when the cars are coupled together and will remain open in case the cars are unintentionally uncoupled. I

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of which it-is composed, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an automatic train pipe coupling embodying my invention, showing the same in uncoupled position; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, showing the parts in coupled position; Fig. 4: is a side ele: vation, partly in section of a portion of the structure shown in Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a detail section taken along the line 55' of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is adetail plan of the valve-actuating bar; Fig. 7 is a detail plan of the coupling stem; and Fig. 8 isa detail section taken on the line 8'8 of Fig. 1. 1 Train pipe couplings of the type'known as the tight or rigid lockcoupling, are shown for example, in the Westinghouse Patent No.

708,747, dated September 9, 1902, and in which each coupling head is provided with a laterally projecting hook-shaped portion adapted to engage the corresponding portion of a counterpart coupling by a relative lateral movement, and be rigidly locked to gether by cam leversor latches, one pivoted upon each coupling head and bearing against the other counterpart coupling head; Train pipe passages are formed in the coupling heads'and are provided with gaskets adapted to abut against corresponding gasketsof the counterpart coupling head when the two are connected together. r While a coupling of the above type will automatically couple with a counterpart coupling when two cars are brought together it is necessary to manually operate the train pipe valves to charge an empty section'of train from a charged section.

By the present invention means are pro vided by which the train pipe valves are actuated by the locking mechanism with which each coupling head is provided whereby the train pipe passages will be automatically opened when the cars are coupled and will be I automatically closed when the cars. are 'uncoupled, with the exception that if the cars are unintentionally uncoupled the train pipe valveswill not be actuated to, closej'the, train pipe passages. V

Referring to the drawings, the automatic train pipecoupling head 1 comprises a projecting nose 2 adapted to engage in a recess 3 of a counterpart coupling head. The head 1 is provided with a hooked portion 1 arranged above and below a plane surface 5, the hooked portion of one coupling head be ing adapted to engage and interlock with a correspondinghook portion of a'counterpart coupling head, in the manner fully described in the above mentioned Westinghouse patent. V, The plane surface 5 is provided with one or more openings 6 for train pipe sections, each having a passage7. The forward or nose end of the train pipe opening is providedwitha I gasket8 adapted to engage the corresponding gasketon the other coupling, and make-a fluid tight joint when the parts arefcoupled together. I I

The coupling head is provided with a pivoted cam or latch lever 9 having a cam surfacelO for engaging a face 11 of acounterpart coupling head.

v The lever 9 carries anarm12 ,towhich a rod-13 is pivotally connected by a pin 14. A

member 15 is secured to the outer end of the I rod 13, and interposed between said member and a fixed abutment 16 is .a coil spring 1 7.1 A guide pin 18, secured to the couplinghead, is adapted to engage in a slot 19 providedin the member15. f

The rear end of the coupling head is formed with an opening 20 which constitutes a guide for the forward end of a stem 21, the end face of the coupling head, around the opening, being extended to provide a flange 22.

The stem 21 has its rear end provided with a ball section 23 adapted to be mounted in a socket (not shown) carried by the car.

Carried by the stem 21 is a sleeve 24 having one end flanged at 25 for abutting the flange 22. The sleeve 24 is formed with diametrically disposed longitudinal slots 26 into which extend the projecting ends of a pin 27 passing transversely through the stem 21.

A coil spring 28 encircles the stem 21 and the sleeve 24, one end of the spring bearing against the flange 25, while the opposite end thereof bears against a collar 29 at the inner end of the stem.

The spring 28 is normally under initial compression which tends to hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the pin 27 engaging the extreme ends of the slots 26. However, the spring 28 is adapted to be compressed to permit telescoping of the stem 21 and the coupling head when two cars are coupled together, whereby the forward end of the stem will be disposed further into the coupling head for a purpose. to be described.

At the front end, the stem 21 is provided with an extended portion 30 having a longitudinal slot 31 and engaging in said slot is a link 32 which is pivotally connected to a lever arm 33 carried by the cam lever 9. As shown in Fig. 1, the slot 31 may extend for a distance into the main body of the stem 21 to increase the length thereof with respect to the length of the portion 30.

Disposed in the train pipe with its axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the passage is a cylindrical valve chamber 35 and mounted to rotate in said chamber are oppositely disposed valve members 36 and 37 in the form of segments of a cylinder for controlling the flow of fluid through the passage 7. The members 36 and 37 are carried by a rotatable valve rod 38.

Interposed between the members 36 and 37 are expansible coil springs 39 for yieldingly maintaining said members in contact with the interior cylindrical walls of the valve chamber 35. Mounted in the top of the valve chamber and bearing against a plate 40 constituting a head for the valve is an expansible coil spring 41 for yieldingly maintaining the base of the valve in contact with a seat 42 in the bottom of the chamber 35.

Fluid under pressure may be admitted to the interior of the valve through ports 44 formed in the segment 37, the fluid passing through a port 45 in the plate 40 into the top of the chamber 35 and around the base of the Valve in the bottom of the chamber so as to provide for easy operation of the valve, as will be readily understood.

The segments 36 and 37 are each formed with alined notches 43 which provide a waterway or port through the valve.

The valve rod 38 terminates at its lower end in a laterally projecting arm 46 carrying a roller 47 which is disposed in a cam groove or channel 48 formed in the upper surface of a bar 49. The lower face of the bar 49 has a longitudinal groove 50 formed therein, which groove receives a correspondingly formed rib 51 with which the coupling head is provided. As shown in Fig. 1, the bar 49 is slidably mounted in the coupling head in parallel relation to the stem 21, but offset a suitable distance therefrom.

One end of the bar 49 is formed with a laterally projecting arm 52 terminating in a raised portion or nose 53. The extremity of the arm 52 abuts the adjacent face of a lug 54 projecting from one side of the portion 30 of the stem 21.

The side of the portion 30 having the lug 54 is notched at 55 for receiving a laterally disposed T-shaped head 56 carried by one end of a latch-operating member 57 disposed in the coupling head between the stem 21 and the bar 49 in parallel relation thereto.

The upper portion of the head 56 is adapted to normally rest on the portion 30 as shown in Fig. 4, and this head has an eye 58 projecting upwardly therefrom to which eye is connected one end of a coil spring 59 carried by the depending end of the draw-bar coupling pin 60 of the car.

The member 57 is formed with an elongated opening 61 for receiving the laterally projecting end 62 of a weighted arm 63 of a latch member 64 pivotally mounted at 65 to the coupling head 1. The latch member 64 has an arm 66 oppositely disposed with relation to the arm 63, and this arm 66 has a finger 67 which rests against the lower surface of the bar 49, which. surface is notched at 68 for a port-ion of its length for a purpose to be described, a step 69 being formed in the latch member 64 at the end of the notch.

In operation, when cars are brought together for coupling up, the projecting nose 2 of one train pipe coupling enters the recess 3 of the counterpart coupling and in this movement, the cam lever 9 is forced rearwardly by the nose 2. The hooked portions 4 of the two couplings become interlocked through the relative lateral and longitudinal movement and the plane faces 5 meet, so that the train pipe openings therein are connected together.

When the train pipe coupling head on each car moves rearwardly on the stem 21, the sleeve 24 will be carried with it, thereby compressing the spring 28 between the flange 25 and the collar 29 which are brought closer together.

WVhen the coupling head 1 and the stem 21 are thus telescoped together, the link 32 will coupling head and locks the two coupling heads tightly together.

Inasmuch as the coupling heads will be held telescoped on the stems 21 during the timetheca-r couplers are locked together, the loop end of the links 32 will not engage the outer end of the slots 31. Therefore, the

levers 9 will be retained in locked position by the pressure exerted by the springs 17, and these latches will remain in such position so long as the cars remain coupled together by virtue of the lost motion'provided by the slotted connections between the several parts.

, As shown in Fig. 1,.the valve in the chamber 35 of .thetrain pipe will be positioned to prevent the flow of fluid through the passage 7, and when the train pipe openings of the two heads 1 are brought together during the coupling operation, the valve in eachof the chambers 35 of the adjoining heads 1 are adapted to be automatically actuated to open the train pipe passage after the joint between the abutting train pipes has been sealed by the gaskets 8.

When the coupling head 1 moves rearwardly onthe stem 21 as has been described to actuate the cam lever 9,- the bar 49 will be prevented from travelling with the coupling ead by reason of the interlock provided between the arm 52 thereof and the lug 54. Therefore, the roller 47 on the end of the valve rod 38 will traverse the cam groove 48, and as this groove has an offset portion formed therein (see Fig. 6) the arm 46 will be swung J from the position shown to a position at right angles thereto, in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the train pipe. This action will rotate the valve through an arc of thereby bringing the port or waterway thereof into registration with the passage 7.

During the inward movement of the coupling head the latchsoperating member 57 will also remain stationary, but as the latch 64 is mounted on the coupling head 1 it'will be carried therewith, the finger 67 of the latch riding along the upper surface of the opening 61 to the rear of the step 69. As the coupling head advances, the finger 67 will be elevated into the notched portion 68 of the opening 61 by the weighted arm 63 of the latch and the latch will remain so positioned while the coupling heads are locked together,

the finger 62 resting on the lower portion of the member 57. However, as will be next de scribed, the device is so constructed that when the cars are unintentionally separated the coupling heads 1 are automatically uncoupled and the train pipe valves closed, but should the coupling heads be unintentionally V disconnected the train pipe valves will re-' main open.

" When coupled cars are separated, the car couplers areunlocked by lifting the draw-bar pins 60 and as the cars separate,the train pipe couplings remain. coupled and locked together until the cars have moved apart sufficiently to pull the coupling heads :1 outwardly" of the stems 21 until furtherlongitudinal movement is prevented by the pins 27- engaging the ends of the slots 26, asshown in FigLlL, This action will also pull the links 32 to the outer ends'of the slots 31, whereupon the levers 9 will be swung-bac-kwardly out of engagement withthe faces 11, thereby I permitting the automatic unlocking of the 7 When the coupling-heads. separate, the

coupling heads. I

springs 28 will maintain theparts in the extended position shown in coupling up. Referring whenthe parts of the train pipe valve actu Fig. 1, ready for to Fi 2, itwill be toad that the coupling head 1 moves outwardly from coupled to uncoupled position the bar 49 and the member 57 will remain stationary and hence the roller 47 will, in traversing outwardly in the cam groove 48, cause the valve rod 38 to rotate to effect the closing of the v valve simultaneously with the return of the coupling head to its normal'uncoupled position, as shown in Fig. '1.

For the purpose of effecting an emergency rate of reduction of the fluid pressure'in the brake pipe to cause immediate application of the brakes when the coupling heads are unintentionally uncoupled, the valve in the chamber 35 should not be closed. Therefore, should the coupling head 1 move outwardly V on the stem 21 while the coupling pin 60 is in normal coupled position, thebar 49 will be carried outwardly with the head 1 by reason of the fact that the finger 67 of the latch 64 will be positioned against the step 69. Hence the roller 47 will remain stationary in the cam groove 48 and accordingly no .rotative movement will be imparted to the valve'rod V 38. When the bar 49 moves outwardly with the coupling head 1, thenose53 will ride over the end of the member 57 and thereby prevent lifting of the head 58 from the notch v55'.

- 1 The functional and structural objects 'above'stated are thus seen to be obtained in the construction described. It is to be understood that certain features of the invention are capable of modification and combination in couplings of other types without sacrifice of the attendant advantages.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a train pipe coupling having a fixed portion and a head having a train pipe passage movably mounted thereon, a valve mounted in the head for controlling the flow of fluid through the passage, said valve having a crank arm provided with a roller, and means for actuating the valve including a bar detachably connected to the fixed portion and having a cam groove for receiving the roller.

2. The combination with a car coupler having a movable locking pin and an automatically operable train pipe coupling having a train pipe passage, of a valve having a crank arm provided with a roller, said valve controlling the flow of fluid through the passage, means for rotating the valve, said valve rotating means including a bar detachably connected to the fixed portion and having a cam groove for receiving the roller, a latch carried by the head for interlocking the bar and the head together, and means actuated by the locking pin for operating the latch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 28th day of November, 1928.

THOMAS H. THOMAS. 

